Mining, rock breaking, excavating machine and implement

ABSTRACT

A mineral or other materials working machine or implement has an adjustable mounting means for a mineral or other materials working tool. Means is provided for adjusting said mounting means to cause said tool to penetrate or be set into a mineral or other materials face, by a predetermined amount so that as the tool is moved therealong a web or lamina of mineral or other material is removed from said face. Means is also provided for adjusting said mounting means to set the angle of attack of the tool on the mineral or other materials face. The two tool-mounting adjusting means are interconnected so that an adjustment of the mounting means to alter the angle of attack of the tool does not materially alter said predetermined penetration or setting of the tool into the mineral or other materials face. In one preferred embodiment adjustment of the mounting means to set the angle of attack of the tool takes place angularly about a working point or edge of the tool. The means interconnecting the two tool-mounting adjusting means may comprise a lever-and-link system the effective dimensions of which are selected, in relation to the tip, point or edge of a chisel or like tool, so as to provide for adjustment of the angle of attack of the tool whilst substantially maintaining the predetermined penetration or setting of it into the mineral or materials face. A pressurefluid ram, for causing the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face by a predetermined amount, may form an element in said lever-and-link system.

United States Patent 1191 Mappin Jan. 14, 1975 4] MINING, ROCK BREAKING, EXCAVATING MACHINE AND IMPLEMENT [75] Inventor: Henry Mappin,

Ashton-in-Makerfield, England [73] Assignee: Dobson Park Industries Limited,

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 387,505

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Herman, Bishoff & Platt [57] ABSTRACT A mineral or other materials working machine or implement has an adjustable mounting means for a mineral or other materials working tool. Means is provided for adjusting said mounting means to cause said tool to penetrate or be set into a mineral or other ma terials face, by a predetermined amount so that as the tool is moved therealong a web or lamina of mineral or other material is removed from said face. Means is also provided for adjusting said mounting means to set the angle of attack of the tool on the mineral or other materials face. The two tool-mounting adjusting means are interconnected so that an adjustment of the mounting means to alter the angle of attack of the tool does not materially alter said predetermined penetration or setting of the tool into the mineral or other materials face. In one preferred embodiment adjustment of the mounting means to set the angle of attack of the tool takes place angularly about a working point or edge of the tool. The means interconnecting the two tool-mounting adjusting means may comprise a leverand-link system the effective dimensions of which are selected, in relation to the tip, point or edge of a chisel or like tool, so as to provide for adjustment of the angle of attack of the tool whilst substantially maintaining the predetermined penetration or setting of it into the mineral or materials face. A pressure-fluid ram, for causing the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face by a predetermined amount, may form an element in said leverand-link system.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEB JAN 1 4IHT5 SHEET 2 or 7 llllllll lliLIlll Ill PATENTED JAN 1 41975 SHEET 3 BF 7 MINING, ROCK BREAKING, EXCAVATING MACHINE AND IMPLEMENT This invention is for improvements in or relating to mining, rock breaking, excavating and like machines (hereinafter referred to as a mining machine) and implements and tools for use therein (hereinafter referred to as a mining implement or tool).

According to the present invention there is provided a tool mounting linkage wherein the angular configuration of the links may be adjusted between the relative point or edge of the tool and the position for mounting said linkage.

According to a further feature of the invention there is provided an adjusting means, for a percussive tool or the like, comprising a linkage whereby the axis of said tool may be adjusted angularly relative to the point or edge of the tool and relatively to a mounting for said tool. Conveniently the adjustment is adapted to take place about the point or line of contact of the tool with the material being worked.

According to another feature of the invention there is provided a tool-mounting-linkage having means for the angular adjustment of said tool relative to a first and subsequent parallel paths and further means for adjustment of said tool between said first and subsequent parallel paths. The parallel paths may be linear parallel paths.

According to a still further feature of the invention there is provided a mining implement including amounting for a tool, means for adjusting said mounting to cause said tool to penetrate or be set into a mineral face or the like by a predetermined amount so that as the tool is moved therealong a web or lamina of mineral is removed from said mineral face or the like, and means for adjusting the mounting to set the angle of attack of the tool on the mineral face or the like, the arrangement being such that said angle of attack can be altered whilst substantially maintaining the predetermined penetration or setting of the tool into the mineral face or the like.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention movement of the mounting, to cause the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral face or the like, is angular.

Conveniently the mounting for the tool is carried by a lever-and-link system the effective dimensions of which are selected in relation to the tip or edge of a chisel or like tool so as to provide for adjustment of the angle of attack of the chisel whilst substantially maintaining the predetermined penetration or setting of it into the mineral face or the like.

A pressure-fluid ram for setting the tool into the mineral face may form an element in said lever-and-link system.

According to a still further feature of the invention there is provided a mining machine comprising an extensible and retractable member on which an implement as above described is mounted, extension and/or retraction of said member causing the tool to remove a web or lamina from the mineral face or the like.

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, as applied to a mineral mining machine especially suitable for use in the mining of gold. In the following description reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGS. 1A and 18 together show a side elevation of the machine,

FIGS. 2A and 28 together show a plan view of the machine, and

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views showing some of the various alternative attitudes in which the tool can be set.

The machine shown on the drawings comprises a body part or carriage 10 having incorporated in it, by means of trunnion bearings 10a, four downwardly acting hydraulic jacks 11 and four upwardly acting hydraulic jacks 12. The jacks 11 and 12 enable the base part 10 to be set at a required height and position, relative to the mineral face, secured between floor and roof of a mine working. The trunnion bearings 10a provide for some relative adjustment between the carriage l0 and the jacks 11 and 12.

A beam 13 is supported and guided in the carriage 10, for extension and retraction, by horizontal rollers 14 and vertical rollers 15.

Extension and retraction of the beam I3 is effected by a double-acting hydraulic ram incorporated in the carriage and having its cylinder 16 anchored to brackets 17 on one end of the carriage and its thrust bar 18 attached to brackets 19 on the beam. The brackets 17 are detachable and interchangeable between the ends of the carriage so as to allow the ram and beam to extend from either end thereof.

At its forward end the beam 13 is provided with a head-piece 20 having a pivotal support 21 for a bellcrank lever having arms 22 and 23. The arm 22 is connected to the thrust bar 24 of a double-acting hydraulic slewing ram having a cylinder (not shown) incorporated in the beam 13. The arm 23 of the lever carries a pivotal support 25 for a sub-base-plate 26 which pivotally supports, at 26a, the base-plate 26b of a percussion tool 27. Angular movement of the base plate 26b on the base plate 26 is effected by a hydraulic ram 33. The percussion tool may, for example, be as described in the specification of our Application for Patent No. 218,671 dated the Jan. 18, 1972.

A further double-acting hydraulic orientating ram has its cylinder 28 pivotally connected, at 29, to the beam head piece 20 and its thrust bar 30 pivotally connected, at 31 to the tool supporting plate 26.

Initially the orientating ram 28, 30 is extended so as to set the chisel 32 into the mineral face by an amount equal to the thickness of the web or lamina to be removed. The slewing ram, having the thrust bar 24, is then adjusted so as to set the angle of attack of the chisel 32 at that appropriate to the general degree of hardness or resistance to removal of the mineral.

The beam 13 is then extended, in a direction parallel to the mineral face so that the chisel removes the mineral, the width of the web or lamina removed being increased as required by moving the base-plate 26b and the tool 27 angularly on the base plate 26 by means of the ram 33.

The angle of attack of the chisel can be adjusted, during its traverse of the face, by means of the slewing ram but this will not materially change the amount by which the chisel is set into the face initially as above described. This is because of the geometry of the leverand-link arrangement supporting the tool from the beam 13.

In this geometry the axis of the lever-arm 23 is not parallel to the axis of the ram 28, 30 and the dimensions A, B, C, D and E are selected, in relation to the tip of the chisel, so that during an adjustment of the angle of attack the tool 27 pivots about the tip of the chisel.

When the beam 13 has been fully extended it is retracted and the ram 28, 30 is extended so as to set the chisel further into the face preparatory to the beam being extended again to remove a further lamina of mineral from the face. The slewing ram may be adjusted if necessary to set the chisel at the required angle of attack.

The machine may be dragged or otherwise moved bodily about the mine working after the jacks l1 and 12 have been temporarily retracted.

I claim:

1. A mineral working machine or implement comprising an adjustable tool-mounting means for a mineral working tool, first tool-mounting adjusting means for adjusting said tool-mounting means to cause said tool to penetrate or be set into a mineral face by a predetermined amount so that as said tool is moved therealong a web or lamina of mineral is removed from said face, second tool-mounting adjusting means for adjusting said tool-mounting means angularly, about a working point or edge of the too] where it contacts the mineral face, to set the angle of attack of the too] with respect to the mineral face, and a lever-and-link means interconnecting said first and second tool-mounting adjusting means and a member of which carries the adjustable tool-mounting means, the effective dimensions of said lever-and-link means in relation to said working point or edge of the tool, being such that an adjustment of the tool-mounting means, by the second toolmounting adjusting means, to alter the angle of attack of the tool, does not materially alter said predetermined penetration or setting of the tool into the mineral face. i

2. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein adjustment of the mounting means to cause the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face, is angular.

3. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pressure-fluid ram, for causing the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face by a predetermined amount, forms an element in said lever-and-link system.

4. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting for the tool is carried on a beam movable to cause a tool on the tool mounting means to remove a web or lamina of material from the mineral face, the tool mounting means, the first and second tool-mounting adjusting means and the lever-and-link means interconnecting said first and second tool mounting adjusting means comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally supported on said member, a pressurefluid ram connected to one arm of said bell-crank lever for effecting slewing movement thereof, a sub-base plate pivotally mounted on the other arm of said bellcrank lever, a base plate for the tool pivotally mounted on said sub-base plate, a pressure-fluid ram for effect ing angular adjustment of said sub-base plate and a pressure-fluid ram for effecting angular adjustment of said base plate for the tool.

5. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sub-base plate and the base plate for the tool are angularly adjustable about mutually transverse axes.

6. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said axes are mutually at right angles.

7. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjustable tool mounting means for the tool is carried on an extensible and retractable member, movement of said member causing a tool on the tool mounting means to remove a web or lamina from the mineral face.

8. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 7 and having a carriage on which said extensible and retractable member is supported for extension and retraction, said carriage'having jack means for securing it between floor and roof of a mine or other working at a selected height and position relative to a mineral face.

9. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the extensible and retractable member runs on and/or is guided by rollers. 

1. A mineral working machine or implement comprising an adjustable tool-mounting means for a mineral working tool, first tool-mounting adjusting means for adjusting said tool-mounting means to cause said tool to penetrate or be set into a mineral face by a predetermined amount so that as said tool is moved therealong a web or lamina of mineral is removed from said face, second tool-mounting adjusting means for adjusting said toolmounting means angularly, about a working point or edge of the tool where it contacts the mineral face, to set the angle of attack of the tool with respect to the mineral face, and a leverand-link means interconnecting said first and second toolmounting adjusting means and a member of which carries the adjustable tool-mounting means, the effective dimensions of said lever-and-link means in relation to said working point or edge of the tool, being such that an adjustment of the tool-mounting means, by the second tool-mounting adjusting means, to alter the angle of attack of the tool, does not materially alter said predetermined penetration or setting of the tool into the mineral face.
 2. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein adjustment of the mounting means to cause the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face, is angular.
 3. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pressure-fluid ram, for causing the tool to penetrate or be set into the mineral or other materials face by a predetermined amount, forms an element in said lever-and-link system.
 4. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting for the tool is carried on a beam movable to cause a tool on the tool mounting means to remove a web or lamina of material from the mineral face, the tool mounting means, the first and second tool-mounting adjusting means and the lever-and-link means interconnecting said first and second tool mounting adjusting means comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally supported on said member, a pressure-fluid ram connected to one arm of said bell-crank lever for effecting slewing movement thereof, a sub-base plate pivotally mounted on the other arm of said bell-crank lever, a base plate for the tool pivotally mounted on said sub-base plate, a pressure-fluid ram for effecting angular adjustment of said sub-base plate and a pressure-fluid ram for effecting angular adjustment of said base plate for the tool.
 5. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sub-base plate and the base plate for the tool are angularly adjustable about mutually transverse axes.
 6. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 5 wheRein said axes are mutually at right angles.
 7. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjustable tool mounting means for the tool is carried on an extensible and retractable member, movement of said member causing a tool on the tool mounting means to remove a web or lamina from the mineral face.
 8. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 7 and having a carriage on which said extensible and retractable member is supported for extension and retraction, said carriage having jack means for securing it between floor and roof of a mine or other working at a selected height and position relative to a mineral face.
 9. A machine or implement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the extensible and retractable member runs on and/or is guided by rollers. 